5 tech innovations that debuted at World's Fairs

From the start—London’s Great Exhibition in 1851—the World’s Fair was a global event for debuting cutting-edge technology. In the centuries since, showcases on this scale have lost some of their standing and grandeur, but the legacy of many innovations introduced at World’s Fairs continues to this day—except for a few that have, fortunately, faded into obscurity.

Learn more about the tech innovations that power—or at least promise to power—our futures by listening to the Quartz Obsession podcast. Season 5 is out now. Listen to the first episode on the World’s Fair.

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The dishwasher, 1893

Josephine Garis Cochran debuted this now-mainstay of modern kitchens 60 years before they were widely adopted.

The grapefruit, 1904

The grapefruit, believe it or not, was an innovation on the pomelo, and its sour goodness was not bestowed upon the public until the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904.

Video calls, 1964

Love them or hate them, video calls are here to stay. They did take awhile to be adopted, though—the first video calls, introduced by Bell Labs at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, involved a landline and were fantastically expensive.

Jetpacks, 1964

Though the concept may date back to 1920s comic strips, jetpacks—which debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair—continue to be one of those just-out-of-reach contraptions. Quartz reported in 2014 that they were “finally here,” but, nine years later, we’re pretty sure you don’t have one in your garage.

Broadcast television, 1939

The New York World’s Fair in 1939 included a demonstration of broadcast TV, with a speech from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Quartz’s Cassie Werber argues on the Quartz Obsession podcast that this can be seen as the moment that the World’s Fair made itself obsolete, with technology that could showcase more technology right in people’s living rooms.

Learn more about the World’s Fair by listening to episode 1 of season 5 of the Quartz Obsession podcast, right in your own living room (or wherever you listen to your podcasts), coming May 2. Check out the trailer!